"Great literature, almost by definition,
is not 'inclusive.'"

Blazing Reader,

In an article by Bretigne Shaffer, "Why 'Rings of Power' Is So Terrible, and Why It Doesn't Matter," she writes:

"A necessary feature of great literature is that it comes from the hearts and souls of individuals. Each individual writer has his or her own perspective on the world, his or her own point of view. Great literature, almost by definition, is not 'inclusive.' Indeed, it is just the opposite – it is the expression of the vision of a single individual, of what he or she sees with their unique heart and soul."

This sums up why so many TV series and hack novel factories fail to endure or touch their audience at any deep level. Their stories come from a superficial place, often created by a team of incompatible writers shackled to an outline. For what lies in the depth of my heart, mind and soul is going to be different from what lies in yours. Sure, once in a while, two souls get together and create something grand. It's hard to think of any examples, but I'm sure they are out there.

The Wachowski brothers may be one such exception: The original The Matrix movie, despite its excessive violence, was a metaphysical masterpiece.

On a side note: I see that the Wachowski brothers are now the Wachowski sisters (according to Wikipedia). Larry (now Lana) had a sex-change operation in 2008. And Andrew became Lilly (sans the castration) in 2008. Well, there you go. You can't say I hate trans people — they made a great film.

The sequel, however, felt like a really bad photocopy. I never bothered to watch the third film (life's too short).

But coming back to Bretigne Shaffer's article, I think it explains why all forms of art, including literature, can save society from the looming Marxist collective nightmare. True art, by its very nature, is an uncompromising and free expression of the individual.

—John C. A. Manley

P.S. When I wrote Much Ado About Corona, I made no attempt to fill any moulds. For example, the heroine of the story is a right-wing vegetarian. If you haven't yet, give the preview a read (or listen).

John C. A. Manley is the author of Much Ado About Corona: A Dystopian Love Story, the forthcoming All The Humans Are Sleeping and other works of speculative fiction. Get free samples of his stories by becoming a Blazing Pine Cone email subscriber at: https://blazingpinecone.com/subscribe/